Don't do this, do that... It pays better

I've had the pleasure of noticing a glut of articles and email list advice about guiding children to the "right" majors and careers.

 It kind of floors me that homeschoolers have also jumped on this bandwagon. I know we all want to make sure our kids become financially secure, but career engineering, in my opinion, will not help our kids. (Yes, I am biased. I am a creative person and so are my kids, so do with this advice what you will.)

 Still, If we point all of our kids to the top 10 college majors for top earners, within 10 years that career choice will be overpopulated. That is just the obvious problem. The other problem, as I see it is that not everyone is wired for those top earning jobs. This means they won't be competitive in their field. They will be at the bottom of the pile professionally and financially. That also won't do much for their emotional well being either.

 Meanwhile, that kid that was wired for one of those touchy-feely careers (and majors) and actually follows their heart, is more likely to be a superstar in their area, putting them at the top of their profession and their income bracket.

 This is why I am not trying to engineer my kids career based on stats and opinions of what sells. I am letting them follow their own instincts so that they can be the best at what they are interested in, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the outside world. I just don't think that by choosing a more financially secure profession will make them any richer than doing what they are naturally good at, so why try to change their direction?

 I will never understand why people homeschool when they still follow the crowd.

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3 comments:

Blondee said...

What you are speaking is the exact same conversation I've been having with my parents lately, They feel my encouraging my children's interests, instead of steering them down a certain road is stupid. While I feel that not only am I pigeon holing a talented and curious human being, but also flooding career choices out of desperation instead of passion.

Karen said...

Food for thought.

While I can't imagine encouraging my kids to look or high-paying jobs, and while I do want them to follow their bliss, at some point they still have to support themselves. My hope is that they create innovative ways to do this.

Ahermitt said...

Of course Karen! That goes without saying! Thanks for the comment.

12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong

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